1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to restriction of access to food by animals, and, more particularly, to the mechanical restriction of access to food for small domesticated pets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pet owners are more conscious of the dietary needs of their pets. Whether it is by doctor's orders or by the initiative of the owner, more and more pet owners have the need to control the diet of their pets. When there are more than one pet in the home, a frequent problem is that one pet tends to also eat another's food. Whether the issue is preventing an overweight pet from eating the other's food or to ensure that one pet is getting all its allotment of its special diet, a need exists in the home to ensure that this occurs.
Controlled animal feeders are well known in the art and tend to fall into one of two categories, those pertaining to livestock and those pertaining to household pets. Of those pertaining to household pets, most employ complicated circuits using microprocessors and transmitters.
The following 14 patents and published patent applications are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,955 issued to Marvin E. Monroe et al. and assigned to Optek, Inc. on Jan. 24, 1984 for “Identification And Animal Feeding Apparatus” (hereafter the “Monroe Patent”);
The Monroe Patent is an automated livestock feeding apparatus having a plurality of magnetic tags each respectively suspended from a specific animal and having a specific code in the feeder which is detected by a plurality of spaced apart reed switches. The farmer programs the feeding apparatus such that when the sensor reads the magnetic tag around the animal's neck, the feeding apparatus will dispense a ration of fodder specific to that tag. The Monroe Patent is designed for very large livestock and not for small pets.
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,170 issued to Daniel R. DaSilva on Apr. 7, 1987 for “Animal Identification Feed Control System” (hereafter the “DaSilva Patent”);
The DaSilva Patent is an involved device which discloses how to deliver a predetermined amount of feed to the livestock, with a readout for animal record keeping and system review. The DaSilva Patent is designed for very large livestock and not for small pets.
3. U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,655 issued to Anthony Targa on Nov. 5, 1996 for “Device For Controlling Animal Access To A Location” (hereafter the “Targa Patent”);
The Targa Patent prevents an animal from eating from the food bowl, by having that animal trigger an alarm or loud noise that frightens it away.
4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,328 issued to Tammy Lanfranchi on Sep. 23, 1997 for “Automatic Animal Feeding System” (hereafter the “Lanfranchi Patent”);
The Lanfranchi Patent teaches a very different structure, having a covered food dish with a triangular top with a closeable opening of sufficient size to allow an animal's head to enter to get access to the food dish. The animal that is permitted to eat from the dish wears a collar with a transceiver. When the animal comes in proximity of the dish, mating sensor receives recognition from the transmitter and causes the triangular top to rotate so that the opening becomes uncovered to allow the animal to eat.
5. U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,795 issued to Taketoshi Matsuura et al. and assigned to Matsushita Electronics Corporation on Apr. 4, 2000 for “Automatic Feeding System Having Animal Carried Transmitter Which Transmits Feeding Instructions To Feeder” (hereafter the “Matsuura Patent”);
The Matsuura Patent is a food delivery system which dispenses a pre-programmed quantity of food into a feed bowl when it senses the animal's transmitter. The transmitter is implanted in the body of the animal.
6. U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,671 issued to Nan R. W. Lewis et al. on Feb. 26, 2002 for “Pet Feeding System And Method Of Using Same” (hereafter the “Lewis Patent”);
The Lewis Patent discloses four separate covered dishes with activation mechanisms that are programmed so that the dishes can open when the cat wearing a transmitter tag, which generates a radio signal, comes in proximity of the dish. The food dish is kept inaccessible to all animals until the desired cat's transmitter comes in proximity to the signal transceiver causing the food dish to open to allow the cat to eat.
7. United States Published Patent Application No. 2002/0134313 to Robert Andrew King on Sep. 26, 2002 for “System, Method And Apparatus For Controlling Animal Feeding” (hereafter the “King Published Patent Application”);
The King Published Patent Application discloses a covered feed dish that opens when it receives a radio signal from a transmitter on the animal. The feeding method can be programmed to not open except during certain hours. This transmitter may be implanted on the animal or permanently affixed to the animal, and may transmit data to the transceiver, such as whether the animal has eaten that day already. The covered feed dish includes a temperature control device to prevent spoilage and a spray device to chase animals away from the dish.
8. U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,584 issued to Karel van den Berg and assigned to Lely Research Holding A.G. on Nov. 25, 2003 for “Feed Metering And Animal Identification Device With Load Sensor And Closing Means” (hereafter the “'584 van den Berg Patent”);
The '584 van den Berg Patent discloses a feed metering device for distributing feed in metered portions to an animal. Based on information received from the animal's ID tag, the device weighs the fodder or drink and delivers a specific quantity of either food or drink to the animal. The device also monitors the amount of food the animal eats and how much fodder is left in the device.
9. United States Published Patent Application No. 2005/0061252 to Glenn Meeks et al. on Mar. 24, 2005 for “Pet Feeding Dish And Method” (hereafter the “Meeks Published Patent Application”);
The Meeks Published Patent Application discloses a pet feeding system wherein the system uses pulse width identification to provide a more effective identification of a unique signal from a remote circuit a pet tag. Utilizing a sophisticated digital circuit, the device is capable of identifying more than one remote circuit such as two or more pets at the same time. A hopper holds extra food that is meted out and a flap will rise to allow the animal to eat.
10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,843 issued to Karel van den Berg and assigned to Lely Research Holding AG on Jun. 21, 2005 for “Feed Metering And Animal Identification Device With Load Sensor And Closing Means” (hereafter the “'843 van den Berg Patent”);
The '843 van den Berg Patent is the same patent as the '584 van den Berg Patent, discussed above, but is a divisional application having different claims of invention with respect to the device.
11. United States Published Patent Application No. 2005/0217591 to Robert Michael Turner on Oct. 6, 2005 for “Animal Feeding Device And Method” (hereafter the “Turner Published Patent Application”);
The Turner Published Patent Application discloses a hopper that is programmed to deliver a specific quantity of food based on information it receives from the animal's transmitter. This device maintains specific feeding schedules and specific diets for animals.
12. U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,674 issued to Karel van den Berg and assigned to Lely Research Holding AG on May 30, 2006 for “Feed Metering Device” (hereafter the “'674 van den Berg Patent”);
The '674 van den Berg Patent is again another division of the previously discussed '584 van den Berg Patent having different claims of invention on the same concept.
13. U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,534 issued to Karel van den Berg and assigned to Lely Research Holding AG on Sep. 5, 2006 for “Feed Metering And Animal Identification Device Having Angularly Displaceable Weighing Means” (hereafter the “'534 van den Berg Patent”);
The '534 van den Berg Patent is again another patent which has the same concept as '584 van den Berg Patent but with different claims of invention.
14. U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,707 issued to Jennifer Ann Clarke on Oct. 24, 2006 for “Selective Animal Feeding Apparatus” (hereafter the “Clarke Patent”).
The Clark Patent discloses the ability to have selective food access to a specific animal wearing a continuously emitting transmitter.
While the prior art has feeder devices for livestock have magnetic tags, those feeders and large, bulky, require programming and have expensive and delicate electronics. Prior art feeder devices for small domesticated pets also have expensive and delicate electronics. The use of these electronics is a significant problem. The relative fragility and expense of these electronics subject the equipment to frequent breakages, repairs, maintenance, and replacements. Additionally, all the prior art are designed to not allow access unless and until the right animal approaches, which means that if any of the electronics break down or are programmed incorrectly, no animal gets any food because the electronics will not dispense any food or allow any access if the electronics breaks down. Pet owners are not pleased at the constant expense for repairs and replacements nor at coming home to find that their pet has not had any food all day or all weekend.
There exists a need for a pet feeder that allows access to food unless and until an animal that should not partake of the food in the feeder approaches. There exists a need for a restricted access pet feeder that has the ability to adjust to the height and size of the animal, so as to grow with the animal. There exists a need for a restricted access pet feeder that has the ability to adjust the size of the opening where the food is. There exists a need for a restricted access pet feeder that eliminates expense and delicate electronic parts. There exists a need for a restricted access pet feeder that eliminates the necessity of having wireless transmitters which are much more expensive which is what most of the cat dishes have. There exists a need for a restricted access pet feeder for small animals that does not use transmitters or transceivers, or other devices which add to the expense and cost of manufacture, production, sales, and repairs of animal feeders.